NO REDUCTION CALLED FOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 10

NO REDUCTION CALLED FOR

Should reduction bo decided upon in spite of this, the only possible form it could take would bo that of • increasing tlifc reserve at tho expense of "the active list. Tho Indian reserve is so disproportionately weak at present that somot.liirig must bo tlono before long to strengthen it. Were such a measuro tiikcn, keeping all tho existing cadres intact, and dovtiting every penny tlioroby Bitvcd to increasing tho strength of the white troops in the country, there would be something to be said in its favour. This would hardly, however, meet the object which has been put forward, since it would ■ necessitate the finding of more instead , of .fewor British troops for India. , No. reduction, is called for in.the interest of the Indian revenues. The burden is borne s6. easily that surpluses have occurred regularly for a number of years past, in spite of three separate reductions in the rate of taxation'. Even if another famine should <iccur, and it should be decided to abandon tlio piesent opium rovenuo, tho difficulty of finding the" necessary funds would b'c ; by no moan's insuperable. In:any case it would be time to consider measures for meeting the occa-sibn-'when it arose. ■ -

' 'It is an old truth, but one that is as real now as it".'ever was, that , tlio security of India depends upon its British troops. It is h new . but not less important to the nice on that account., that Great Britain now possesses _an army in .India capable of materially assisting in the defence of the Empire, an army which costs- the Home taxpayer nothing at all anil the Indian only so riiue.h as lie can easily and legitimately jpay for 'the peace' and security it brings.' 1